Utah auditor: No financial wrongdoing by Wasatch group

Wednesday , September 13, 2017 - 5:55 PM

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Utah state auditor’s review of a group primed with guiding the future of the Central Wasatch Mountains found no evidence of financial wrongdoing, conflicts of interest or oversight, but did not reach a conclusion on the group’s transparency practices.

State Auditor John Dougall released the findings on Tuesday into the group called the Mountain Accord, which is now defunct and has turned into a new government entity, the Central Wasatch Planning Commission. A lawsuit is still pending in district court for allegations that the group violated open meeting laws, but Dougall determined the group’s use of its $8 million budget has been within the confines of the law.

Property owners and politicians raised concerns about how the group was spending taxpayer money since the Utah Legislature appropriated the funds.